Ecuador Homicides Hit Weekly Low of 117, Noboa Says
SECURITY · ECUADOR
Key Facts
- —The country Ecuador, a dollarised Andean nation of about 18 million, sells bananas, shrimp and oil to the US. Its Pacific ports are a main exit for cocaine bound for the US and Europe.
- —Why it matters Ecuador recorded 9,216 intentional homicides in 2025, the most on record, about 51 per 100,000 people, according to Interior Ministry data reported by Extra.
- —Why now President Daniel Noboa gave the figure on Radio Centro on Monday 5 October, five days after a 14-day night curfew ended in four coastal provinces.
- —What happened Noboa said Ecuador logged 117 intentional homicides last week, the lowest weekly total of 2026. The ministry has not yet published the weekly data behind it.
- —The numbers Interior Ministry curfew balance, 17 to 29 September: 2,561 people detained, 8.1 tonnes of drugs and 456 weapons seized in Guayas, Manabí, Los Ríos and El Oro.
- —What it means for you The night curfew ended on 30 September. Guayaquil, the main port and business hub, saw 858 security operations, public administration secretary José Julio Neira said on 5 October. Extortion remains a risk for firms.
- —Still open Whether the low holds without a curfew. Killings in June and July ran above 2025 levels, and El Oro province nearly doubled its toll in January to July.
Ecuador homicides fell to 117 last week, the lowest weekly total this year, President Daniel Noboa said on Monday. The country uses the US dollar and is a main transit route for cocaine heading to the United States.
Noboa, president since November 2023, credited the capture or killing of gang leaders and a two-week night curfew in four coastal provinces. The Interior Ministry has not yet released the weekly data, so the figure is not independently confirmed.
What Noboa Said
Speaking to Radio Centro on 5 October, Noboa said last week brought “the fewest intentional homicides of the year: 117”. Expreso and El Universo both reported the remark.
He also said extortion in Quito and Guayaquil had fallen by “30-odd percent”. El Universo put the figure at 35 percent, and neither outlet gave the period compared.
Noboa tied both drops to the capture of what he calls “invisible bosses”, the hidden financiers of gangs. “When you attack criminal structures from the top, those below have to find a way to sustain themselves,” he said.
He added that the curfew brought a 30 percent fall in homicides and other crimes. He did not say which earlier period he was measuring against.
How Low Is 117?
Ecuador homicides at 117 a week are still high for a country of its size. Ecuador recorded 5,676 violent deaths from January to August, according to Interior Ministry data reported by La República.
That works out to about 163 a week, so last week ran roughly 28 percent below this year’s average. The January to August total is 6.4 percent lower than in the same months of 2025.
For January to July, Ecuador homicides totalled 4,882, against 5,295 a year earlier, a fall of 7.8 percent. The 2025 full-year total of 9,216 was the highest on record.
Ecuador had 1,189 homicides in 2019, before gangs began fighting over cocaine routes. Even this year’s slower pace leaves the country far above that level.
What the Curfew Delivered
The curfew ran from midnight to 5 a.m. between 17 and 30 September in Guayas, Manabí, Los Ríos and El Oro. It operated under a state of exception Noboa decreed on 15 September.
The Interior Ministry’s balance to 29 September lists 1,310 operations, 1,050 checkpoints and 29 raids. Police and soldiers detained 2,561 people, 695 of them only for breaking the curfew.
The other 1,866 were held for crimes including extortion, organised crime, illegal weapons and drug trafficking. Seizures included 8.1 tonnes of drugs, 456 weapons, 12,819 rounds of ammunition and 40 explosives.
The ministry valued the drugs at about US$340 million on illegal markets. The Defence Ministry said at least eight high-value targets were killed during the period.
One was Carlos Germán Muñoz Jara, known as Charlie, whom authorities link to Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel. He died with two guards in a raid at the unfinished El Aromo refinery site in Manabí.
Ecuador’s Constitutional Court ruled that the curfew complied with the constitution. Interior Minister John Reimberg called the state’s regained grip on territory its main result.
Progress and the Risks Behind It
Some signals point to real progress. Guayaquil recorded 1,482 intentional homicides from January to August, down 18 percent, and neighbouring Durán fell almost 42 percent.
Noboa also said he speaks with Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella about every 15 days. Both countries are hunting Ecuadorian fugitives who have used Colombia as a refuge.
El Universo reported that US troops joined some curfew operations. The two governments later signed the accord reported in Ecuador and US Sign Police Internal Control Agreement.
The risks are just as clear. Homicides in June and July ran above 2025 levels, and nine provinces recorded increases from January to July.
El Oro, on the Peruvian border, went from 358 killings to 634 over those months. Former interior minister Patricio Carrillo told Expreso that violence is moving to new areas rather than ending.
Children remain exposed as well. Ministry records show 430 people under 18 were killed between January and August, Expreso reported.
The September decree followed a rise in killings described in Ecuador Declares Yet Another Emergency as Killings Rise Despite Crackdown. For the president’s wider record, see Who Is Daniel Noboa, Ecuador’s President Explained 2026.
What It Means for You
For travellers and firms, the night curfew in Guayas, Manabí, Los Ríos and El Oro ended on 30 September. Killings remain concentrated in those coastal provinces, led by Guayas.
Those provinces hold the ports that ship bananas and shrimp to the United States. A lasting fall in violence would ease extortion pressure on exporters and logistics firms.
For Washington, the figures are an early test of a security partnership that already includes joint operations. One weekly figure from the president is not yet a trend.
What Is Not Known
The Interior Ministry has not published the weekly Ecuador homicides figures behind the 117 count. It has also not said which seven days Noboa meant.
It is unclear whether the government will reimpose a curfew, or what period the extortion fall covers. Noboa said operations against criminal structures will continue until the end of the year.
How many homicides did Ecuador record last week?
President Daniel Noboa said Ecuador recorded 117 intentional homicides last week, the lowest weekly total of 2026. The Interior Ministry has not yet published the weekly data.
What did Ecuador’s September curfew achieve?
Between 17 and 29 September, the Interior Ministry reports 2,561 detentions and 8.1 tonnes of drugs seized. Police also took 456 weapons in Guayas, Manabí, Los Ríos and El Oro.
Are Ecuador homicides falling in 2026?
Yes, modestly. Ecuador recorded 5,676 violent deaths from January to August, 6.4 percent fewer than a year earlier. June and July, however, ran above 2025 levels.
Sources: Expreso, Noboa on 117 homicides; Expreso, extortion; El Universo, Noboa interview; El Universo, curfew balance; El Universo, curfew day 13; Expreso, curfew operations; La República, January to August; Expreso, provincial data; Extra, 2025 total; Radio Pichincha, January to July; Interior Ministry and Defence Ministry figures as reported, 29 September to 5 October 2026.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error